This week I found out about the possibility's of 3D-printing and the fact that this is possible in ceramics (and stainless steel) blows my mind! I can't stop thinking about it in combination with an artistic idea I have. So I'm trying to figure out the possibility's.

What I want (to try) is to combine (slow) handcraft with (fast) new digital possibility's. Just let me share the idea I have. And from there I hope to find solutions to turn this idea into a real object:

I want a very detailed object (3D-printed) in ceramics. Than I want to paint this object by hand with ceramics-paint. And than I want it to be glazed.

Now, for glazed 3D-printed ceramic objects I read on this website that within the 3D-design I have to get rid of sharp edges (give them a curve of 2 mm.), because otherwise the glaze will crack. So the first step for me will be to figure out how to make/get my 3D design and 'translate' it to the right shape for ceramicsprinting and glazing. Does anyone have any suggestions for this first step?

The next step will be to figure out what is possible to have the 3D printed ceramics object in front of me, so I can handcraft paint it. And than this handcraft painted object has to be glazed.

What might be the best 3D-program to use for this purpose? I have this idea, but where do I start? The endproduct will be a complex 3D-form, like a scalemodel of a cathedral (ca. 40 x 30 x 20 cm.) printed in ceramics.

Shapeways ceramic is glazed. They will not give you unglazed ceramic so you can glaze it yourself.

I am just thinking out of the box here. What if you ordered your model in Full Color Sandstone http://www.shapeways.com/materials/sandstone maybe you could finish it with something to suit your needs. The problem with this is the max size is 25 x 38 x 20 cm so maybe you could join two or more pieces together. Plus you could not use a ceramic glaze. It is only heatproof to 60C/140F degrees.
Just a thought.